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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26554048">Stay Away From Lake Derek</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren1327/pseuds/Ren1327'>Ren1327</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Sentry [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Creepypasta, Gen, Horror, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Original Character(s), PS no straight characters, creepypasta based series, originally posted on Creepypasta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:41:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,395</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26554048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren1327/pseuds/Ren1327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Original Series- Cole and his mom move up north to reunite him with his best friend. But when attending a party at an off limits lake side, he and his friends cross into dangerous territory and find a horrible secret about the lake.</p><p>Part 1 and original stand alone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Sentry [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931119</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay Away From Lake Derek</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello and thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please let me know what you think and have fun.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His mom had just got a new job as a deputy at a sheriff's office in a town surrounded by thick woods on one side and the coast of Washington state some miles west of Victoria. The town wasn't too big, but not staggeringly small. They had a Walmart and the drive to the city wasn't too hard to manage.</p><p>His new school was a one-story building with a gym, a computer lab, a standard size library and about eight classrooms. So, getting to class was quick and easy, the only downside being no official cafeteria, but a fully stocked kitchen. The food was often delivered to the home rooms, where they would report to for their lunch break and free period.</p><p>Another plus was that they only had four classes a day, so the students were able to arrive at 10, have lunch, then start the one-hour classes. They had our forty-minute home room, where they would gather supplies for the day, finish homework, catch up, use the bathroom, hear school announcements, and watch the local news on donated TVs. Then the first of their five-minute change of classroom started. Being a small school with under one hundred students, it was easily managed by both staff and students. </p><p>Cole, luckily, already had a friend to help him get around. </p><p>Jacob Bennett had been his friend since he was a boy. Despite the very religious and severe upbringing, Jacob was colorful and kind. Then he had been taken from his parents and placed with his Uncle Tristan. Tristan had taken Jacob as far as he could to Seattle, then moved farther as an opportunity to give Jacob a new outlook and the ability to start over.</p><p>Cole knew Jacob needed this change, and despite the many years that passed, Cole never made any more friends. </p><p>So when his mother told him she would go as a consultant for a year, Cole begged to go and see his friend. Esperanza Fletcher-Ruiz had counted on Cole coming along for the ride and told him her new apartment had two rooms so he wouldn’t have to stay behind with his grandmother.<br/>
The moment he saw his blond friend, now delightfully chubby with freckles doted over his honey toned shoulders and cheeks, as opposed to sallow and thin, Cole knew he would be okay.</p><p>Jacob let Cole know the rules over the phone; how to easiest navigate school life and mostly, who was who and how to connect. And who to avoid.</p><p>Cole’s first day had been pretty nice. He had connected with a few teachers, and even made some acquaintances.</p><p>During fourth period, he was packing up his history notes when he noticed…her. </p><p>She was willowy, thin and pretty, but a little on the shorter side, with long dark hair that hid some of her face. She was still writing in her journal. The teacher had long gone already, and the school would be closed soon for the night. Cole adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.</p><p>"Hey, um, class is over." He called. </p><p>She didn't move except her scribbling.</p><p>"Hey?" Cole called again; now nervous he might have to talk to her even more. He didn't like talking to others if he could avoid it.</p><p>He felt Jacob’s warm hand grab his wrist and yank him away. “Hey, yeah, no. Do not talk to her.”</p><p>"What? Why?" He asked, rubbing his wrist.</p><p>"That Marla Gutierrez. Her Grandpa is scary as hell." He explained as they walked to the bus stop. They lived a few stops away and luckily were only a floor apart in the apartment building.</p><p>Once they paid and took their seats, Jacob continued. "Rumor is the old man killed his wife and son and kidnapped Marla. She never ever talks. Like ever!"</p><p>"That can't be true. Wouldn't the cops have taken him away?" Cole asked, knowing how much Jacob liked tall tales and gossip. "Come on, Jake, you don't believe in that stuff."</p><p>"They can't prove it." He said with a huff.</p><p>"DNA test on her?" The speckled boy countered. </p><p>"Well...okay, you got me there. But what if he killed her parents. His son went missing and washed up on the lake shore in pieces. They said a bear did it...but you never know." He said in a spooky voice.</p><p>"Lake? As in Lake Derek?" He asked.</p><p>"Yeah! Lots of kids go there to mess around. Speaking of which...Wanna go tonight?" Jacob asked, cheeks a little rosy. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”</p><p>As much as Cole hated socializing, he was curious. Jacob had talked about a new friend in the last few months. </p><p>“This Dom guy?” Cole asked, a little flare of jealously igniting in his gut.</p><p>“He doesn’t like that name.” Jacob said, smoothing a lock of hair behind his ear. “But trust me, you’ll love him.” </p><p> 
</p><p>They went to Lake Derek, parking by a chain link fence with a huge hole cut into it, duct tape wrapped around the lose wires to protect clothes and flesh from the cut metal.</p><p>Sneaking through, they came upon a huge bonfire and several people standing around, drinking from a couple of kegs and coolers filled with wine coolers and sodas. There were even a few beanbag chairs thrown onto a tarp as the occupants passed around a gun shaped bong.</p><p>Jacob snapped Cole out of his stupor.</p><p>"Cole, meet Macrae. But call him Mac. This tall jerk was my only saving grace I had when I first got here." Jacob said, motioning to the tall teen next to him.</p><p>Cole shook the stranger's hand. So this was the boy who had soothed Jacob’s transition.</p><p>The guy was tall, with dry, most likely dyed blond hair and eyes that held blackout contacts, as one could see a ring of pale blue around them. Cole noticed he had faded scars on his shoulders, and  slouched lazily, wearing blue jeans, a sleeveless rock band shirt, combat boots and a shark tooth necklace.</p><p>"Jakey! I was gonna go for a swim. Wanna join?" He asked gleefully, immediately ignoring Cole and pulling Jacob close.</p><p>"No. I just got here!" Jacob said with a laugh, pushing the sweaty boy away. "Take my buddy here on one of your famous adventures. Just don't get tangled in the rocks again."</p><p>"I got out...minus some skin." Mac muttered before putting a long arm around Cole’s shoulders. "How about it, Cole?"</p><p>Cole looked at Jacob, who smiled and nodded. Cole could feel the taunt muscle of Mac’s arm, warm from the fire and nodded back, Mac feeling him and whooping loudly.</p><p>He guided Cole down a dirt path, away from the party, away from Jacob.</p><p>" Let's go visit old Mr. G." Mac said, taking out a flask and downing whatever was in it.</p><p>The smaller teen dug his heels in the dirt, causing Mac to pause. "Wait. Isn't that bad?"</p><p>"Naw. Come on." Mac said, taking off his jeans and shirt. </p><p>Cole covered his eyes before he noticed Mac hanging up his clothes in a tree and walking down to the sandy area. He kicked off his shoes and waded in the water.<br/>
Cole sighed. </p><p>Might as well just stay in the shallow area. He undressed to boxers and went in. They waded in the shallow area along the edge of the rocks. Cole noticed some looked broken from the cliff and Mac huffed.</p><p>"Weird, right? Use to be connected to the sea." Mac said and he climbed on a boulder above the lake. "They'd find all kinds of fish that swam through this underwater cave from the cove. That's why the water smells so salty. Plus, this lake is a deep goddamn hole. My pop said people use to scuba dive into it. Til the Main Cave collapsed. Blocked off all the other underwater caves. Now it's just a deep ass lake. Bet ya down there, in what the old folks call the Way Deep...there's something."</p><p>"Really?” Cole asked, scrambling up the bolder. "People would have had noticed or something, right? That can’t be true."</p><p>"Then how do you explain the disappearances?" Mac asked with a grin. </p><p>He pulled Cole up to sit next to him, making sure he was steady.</p><p>"In the last ten years, there's been 35 drownings in this lake. And the bodies never found. Everyone thinks it Old Man Gutierrez.” </p><p>“Why?” Cole asked.</p><p>“He lives out here and acts all suspicious, like he's hiding something.” Mac said. “I bet he axed off his wife that way. Everyone thinks he dumps the bodies in the lake, weighing them down so they can never be found."</p><p>"Seriously?" </p><p>"I kid ya not. I try to get Jakey out here, but he can't swim. Still love him though." He slurred slightly. "Plus, I got stuck in them at one point. Maybe I was drunk, but it felt like something was yanking me into the water."</p><p>"Uh...I think I need to get back. I still have a curfew." Cole said, trying to find an excuse to get out of the creepy lake.</p><p>"Whatever, dude!" Mac teased. "Tell Jakey I'll be back soon!"</p><p>Cole nodded and scuttled down the rocks back to the sand, quickly getting dressed and quickly following the path. He stopped when he saw a deep red from the corner of his eyes.</p><p>Marla.</p><p>She was staring at the lake several meters from me. Just standing there on the edge like she was frozen. Her long dark hair fluttered along with her deep red skirt that brushed the dirt around her feet. Cole thought to call out, but just wanted to find Jacob and go.</p><p>Speak of the devil, Jacob was walking towards him.</p><p>“Cole?” He asked. “Why are you alone?”</p><p>Cole looked behind him to see Marla was gone and so were Mac’s clothes.</p><p>“Where—” Cole looked at Jacob.</p><p>“Where’s Mac?” Jacob asked.</p><p>“He wanted to go to Mr. Gutierrez’s.” </p><p>Jacob froze, looking shocked and scared. He pushed pass Cole. "We gotta go get him!" </p><p>"What? Why? What's wrong?" Cole asked.</p><p>“I can only assume he’s drunk right now and he’s not the safest guy.” Jacob hissed. “He’ll really hurt himself this time.”</p><p>Cole looked at his feet, face burning in shame. He stammered and pointed the way he came.</p><p>“This way.” he said, taking Jacob’s hand and leading him to the boulder, but finding the area barren of any life.</p><p>"Where is he?" Jacob asked, distraught.</p><p>"Maybe he’s already at Mr. Gutierrez’s house?"</p><p>Jacob nodded and led Cole around the lakeside, his hand trembling in Cole’s.</p><p>“What are you not telling me?” Cole asked.</p><p>“…Mac…He’s an alcoholic.” Jacob said. “He’s been doing better, moderating.”</p><p>“But?” </p><p>“But he got all weird when I told him you were coming, and I don’t know why he would fall so hard off the wagon.” Jacob whispered.</p><p>“Are you guys…a thing?” Cole asked. “Does he know why you’re here?”</p><p>“No. I mean, yeah, he knows about my parents but we’re not exactly…No.” Jacob answered, cheeks red. “Just, keep walking, we’re like, right in front of the house.”</p><p>They finally made it over to a rough looking lake house. The wood exterior looked murky, the porch littered with dirt and dead leaves. The wooden railing was splintered and rotting, the steps in just as bad shape.</p><p>"Is this it?" Cole whispered too loudly. </p><p>Jacob winced and made a push down motion with his hand, Cole covering his mouth.</p><p>"Yeah." Jacob said in a better volume. "Mac might be around the dock. It leads into the house."</p><p>“You guys come here often?” Cole asked.</p><p>“Not to mess with him.” Jacob said with a soft sigh. “just for a thrill or two…”</p><p>Jacob pulled Cole to a dock that led into a boat garage. The lake went under the thick rusty door into a pool Cole assumed a boat or canoe would be docked to. Jacob went to the door and jiggled the handle, finding it unlocked. He slowly opened the door and both teens gasped at the sight.</p><p>Leading from the pool where a worn rowboat was, blood led out of the water, along the edge of the opening and through a door leading into the house. From the blood pattern, it looked like someone was dragged. </p><p>And in the blood smears was a familiar shark tooth necklace. </p><p>Cole covered his mouth to keep in a fearful shout down.</p><p>He grabbed Jacob’s shirt, who had picked up the necklace and gave a breathy shutter. He cradled it in his hands, cheeks and nose reddening as he let out a soundless gasp.</p><p>They both shrank against each other when they heard a yell from inside.</p><p>“No!” Mac’s voice, muffled, yelled out. “Let go, man!”</p><p>“He’s alive…” Jacob whispered.</p><p>"We have to get help.” Cole croaked.</p><p>"It might be too late when they get here!" Jacob said. And Cole remembered with cold dread they had left their cell phones in Jacob's car, halfway around the lake. Cole knew he was right. </p><p>Gutierrez could kill Mac before they even had the chance to call for help.</p><p>Cole crept to the open door and peeked through into the kitchen to find Marla hiding under a table, hugging her knees and drenched in water. </p><p>“What the…” Jacob scanned the room and crawled under to kneel in front of her. </p><p>"Are you okay?” He asked. </p><p>She nodded, her eyes wide and lips pressed together hard.</p><p>“Have you seen our friend? He has long blond hair and was wearing a ripped shirt.” </p><p>She looked at them, eyes widening more as she clutched the fabric of her long skirt and nodded again.</p><p>"Do you know where he is?" </p><p>Another nod. </p><p>"W-where's your Grandfather?" Cole asked.</p><p>She pointed to the window and they peeked out to see the grizzled old man going into a shed. They heard a machine start, maybe a table saw, and immediately knew the small window of time to find Mac was closing.</p><p>"Can you show us where he is?" Jacob asked Marla.</p><p>She nodded and started to crawl from under the table through the door. Jacob followed and Cole noticed Marla’s hands had left a few red splotches. </p><p>She still crawled forward despite them being out of sight from the windows. Cole stood up as he looked at the peeling wallpaper…No…newspaper clippings…</p><p>Most were about people missing from the lake or even sightings of a strange creature. And framed on the wall, was a news article about a man's remains being recovered on the rocks near the lake.</p><p>To the left was a shrine to the same man and an older woman in the corner, their pictures immaculate and fresh flowers around the frames. They were in several pictures with Mr. Gutierrez. Two newspaper obituaries were laminated in plastic: Alma Gutierrez, who died of breast cancer and Derek Gutierrez, who had been attacked by a bear.</p><p>Cole’s head was spinning with so many questions, but he found himself gravitating to another shrine across the room, where a small…coffin with a glass top was, salt poured around it. The box was wrapped in chains and Cole looked over it, gasping at the sight, drawing Jacob’s attention.</p><p>He fought the urge to vomit when he and Jacob saw it was the torso and head of a mummified woman. Her waist was covered on scales and looked like she had been cut in half, nails long, hair greenish and scales along with two wide membraned fins next to her in the box. Her teeth were all as sharp as steak knives and thin as nails, jutting out in a snarl. Like a goblin shark. Her body was still decomposing, skin leathery and hanging off the bones, and the stench that escaped horrible.</p><p>On the box, carved around the border, it said<br/>
"Fair is fair<br/>
Trade a life<br/>
Take my child<br/>
Take my knife<br/>
Rest in pieces<br/>
Like your prey<br/>
Sleep now, devil<br/>
Evil still stays"</p><p>Marla opened a trapdoor in the floor at the back of the room and pointed inside.</p><p>"Marla...what is this?" Jacob asked hands out.</p><p>Marla looked at the shrine and mouthed "Papa"</p><p>"Derek's your Dad. Okay...but what is this...thing?!" Cole asked, voice cracking as he gestured at the box.</p><p>She pointed again to the inside of the trap door. Cole finally noticed the same smell of rotten meat came from there too. But...fresher.</p><p>Cole shook his head. "What is this monster? Why is it here? Did it kill your Dad? What is it?!"</p><p>Marla stared at them for a few seconds before smiling. Her lips opened to reveal the same jutting sharp shark teeth.<br/>
In a lyrical voice she said, "My Mama."</p><p>Jacob pushed Cole out of the room and slammed the door behind them. Marla screeched like some alien creature and banged on the door from within. Jacob ripped off his belt, clumsily tying the doorknob to an exposed pipe in the wall.</p><p>Cole grabbed his arm and quickly ran back to the kitchen, seeing Mac being helped onto the table, wearing a splint made of crudely cut pipes and blankets. Mr. Gutierrez looked at the boys, holding Mac steady.</p><p>“Jakey! Cole!” Mac croaked. Mr. Gutierrez still held him as he growled.</p><p>"What the hell are you doing there? You think I put up that damn gate for decoration?!" He shouted before going pale at hearing Marla's screeching.</p><p>"Shit! You all need to get lost. Take my truck and get out of here! Make sure no one comes near the lake!"</p><p>"That thing in the box...it's the thing that kill those people back then..." Cole said, connecting the dots. "It came in from the sea and..."</p><p>"Got trapped here." Gutierrez said, looking for his keys. "It lured my son in. He was such a romantic boy...who wouldn't want to be friends with a mermaid? But she...she killed him. I went after it. I found it and made sure it would never hurt anyone again...and then I found the baby. She looked normal. Legs and all. She looked so much like Derek did...”</p><p>He took a deep breath. </p><p>“I thought it was all over until our dog went missing. She had eaten him in the bath. She can't be out of water for more than a few days or she'll die like her mother did. But she also can't help hunting. I let her out to hunt fish and deer but..."</p><p>"She started hunting people." Jacob said.</p><p>"I should have..." Gutierrez shook his head, finding his keys and handing them to Cole. "Marla is still Derek's daughter. I can't...I can't lose my son again!"</p><p>He gave Mac a metal bat to lean on as he helped him to the door. "All three of you get out of here! Get out!"</p><p>Jacob and Cole grabbed Mac, shuffling out to the truck and starting it as Marla's screams grew louder.</p><p> 
</p><p>The next few hours were a blur.</p><p>Jacob had drove around the lake to the hole in the gate, got Mac into his car and gunned it to the nearest hospital. Mac had a huge bite on his calf, which would leave him with a nasty scar and a temporary limp, but at least he was alive.</p><p>Esperanza had been the officer to respond to the hospital’s call and grilled Cole on what happened, but all three boys stayed quiet. After she noticed how all three of us were scared out of our minds, she simply asked if an animal had attacked them, wherein all three nodded.</p><p>They never went back to the lake. As far as Cole knew, Mr. Gutierrez built a new fence. One that was high, smooth bars with spikes on top. Impossible to climb or scale.</p><p>Many people noticed right away it had no door or entry way. As if not trying to keep anyone out, but keep something in.</p><p>Inside, the game would run out. The fish would be gone. And Mr. Gutierrez would find his last moments like that of his son.</p><p>It would be comforting to think Marla would eventually starve to death. If not for the rumors of a hooded figure seen walking in the trees. </p><p>Then recent news update about a storm reopening the Main Cave and the recent disappearances.</p>
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